Illinois Public Media News

Once again, race is front and center at the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday. And once again, the bull's eye is the 1965 Voting Rights Act, widely viewed as the most effective and successful civil rights legislation in American history. Upheld five times by the court, the law now appears to be on life support.

Former Illinois legislator Robin Kelly captured the Democratic nomination Tuesday in the race to replace disgraced ex-U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., after a truncated campaign season where she got a boost from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's super PAC.

Chicago's hockey team, the Blackhawks, are on quite the streak. It's an exciting turn for a season that began with a lockout. Chicago currently holds the record for most consecutive games to start the season without a regulation loss.

A raucous debate over guns got under way Tuesday afternoon in the Illinois House of Representatives. At issue are the restrictions that will be in place as lawmakers comply with a federal court order demanding the state allow people to carry guns in public.

University of Illinois officials are waiting to see exactly how the federal budget sequestration will affect their research programs. But university President Robert Easter said they stand to lose $65 million out of their $813 million research budget.